Family style catering vs buffet: which fits your party

Family style catering means platters and bowls set at each table so guests pass them around, while a buffet means guests walk a line. Upper Crust does not list family style as a service, but our trays work that way: a tray dinner for 20 is $321.98 before tax, about $17.59 a guest with 9.25% tax, and your own host or helpers move the food to the tables. For a buffet, Buffet Menu 1 is $18.99 a person.

How the two differ

At a buffet, guests get up in waves and queue. It moves 50 or 100 people along fast, keeps hot food in chafing dishes and suits events with a program. At a family style dinner, the food comes to the table, people serve themselves and each other, and the meal slows down. It suits smaller seated dinners like a rehearsal dinner, an anniversary or a holiday family meal.

The trade-off is serving gear and hands. Family style needs more serving dishes and someone to refill them. A buffet needs a table and a line, and a few chafing dishes.

What we sell

We sell two things that matter here: buffets and trays.

• Buffets are priced per person, start at 20 guests, and can be staffed so servers keep the line going. Buffet Menu 1 is $18.99 a person, Buffet Menu 2 is $19.99, and Buffet Menu 3 is $20.99.
• Trays are priced per tray, serve 20 as listed, and have no minimum. You pick them up or have them delivered, and decide how to serve them. See the entrées and sides by the tray menu.

If you want the family style feel, order trays and transfer them to your own platters and bowls at each table. A tray for 20 can be divided across two tables of 10.

A family style dinner for 20, from trays

• Herb Roasted Chicken, $80 for 20 pieces.
• Baked Mostaccioli, comes in two sizes, $45 or $75. The $75 tray is the one for 20.
• Mashed Potatoes, $49 a tray.
• Buttered Fresh Green Beans, $49 a tray.
• Tossed Mixed Greens, $49 a tray.
• Dinner Rolls & Butter, $9.99 a dozen. Two dozen: $19.98.

The math: $80 + $75 + $49 + $49 + $49 + $19.98 = $321.98. Tax of 9.25% adds $29.78, so $351.76, about $17.59 a guest.

And the buffet version

Buffet Menu 1 for 20 guests is 20 x $18.99 = $379.80 before tax. The prices are close. The difference is what you get for it: the buffet menu is a package where you choose from a set list with the kitchen's planning behind it, and the tray dinner gives you total control of what goes on the table. If you want servers at the buffet, add $35 an hour per server with a 4-hour minimum, a $50 event production fee and a 20% service charge on food and rentals. A tray dinner for pick-up has no service charge.

Tips for a family style table

• Use two copies of each dish per table of 10 so no one waits for the potatoes.
• Keep hot trays in a Chafing Dish Set, $17 per hot dish, until it is time to serve.
• Put a serving spoon in each bowl. Serving Tongs & Spoons are $1 each.
• Choose dishes that look good in a bowl: green beans, potatoes, pasta, salad.

Ordering

Standard orders need 3 days of notice. Pick up at the kitchen in Yorkville, or ask for quoted delivery. Weighing it against full-service? Our drop-off catering page explains the difference. Call (630) 553-9533 or send the date and headcount on the quote form.

Questions

Do you offer family style service?

Not as a named service. We offer buffets with or without servers, and trays you can serve family style yourself.

Is family style cheaper than a buffet?

Not by much on our menu. The cost is close, and the difference is who sets up and who serves.

Can you send servers to bring food to the table?

Staffed events can include servers at $35 an hour with a 4-hour minimum. Tell us how you want service to work when you ask for your quote.

How many people does a tray serve?

A tray serves 20 as listed on the menu.